The Hands that Build

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally from September 15 to October 15 and recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to history, culture and advancement. 

Over the course of the month, USD News Center will highlight unique stories, thoughtful interviews and local events — both on campus and around San Diego — that encapsulate the spirit of this wonderful annual celebration. 

Building a better world. It's a popular phrase used in countless different contexts. But what does it take to truly build a better world? 

For six engaged and passionate professionals working and living in the U.S.-Mexico Border region, building a better world means making a positive and sustainable difference in their communities. With the help of the Cross-Border Initiatives program at the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Dr. Rebeca Cázares, Luis Guillermo Gomez Rosales, Marla Lino, Florisse Vasquez, Alina Bretón and Miguel García have been able to advance their efforts to make the border region a more peaceful and inclusive space. 

On May 18, they were able to share their experiences individually and collectively with a captive audience of students and faculty at the Kroc School as the first cohort of the Kroc Border Fellows. The event marked the completion of the year-long  cohort program, and all in attendance were moved by their stories of hope, challenge and success. 

“They are a dynamic group of young and established professionals working at the border region, and their projects improve lives for migrants, youth and neighborhoods across the region through efforts that include job training, community park rehabilitation, and access to health services,” said Franco Castro Escobar, Kroc IPJ Practice Fellow for Cross-Border Initiatives and current Kroc School Master’s in Peace and Justice student. “As our first Border Fellows cohort, they have done incredible and inspiring work, and we are excited to celebrate those achievements with them.”

During the non-residential program, which began in May 2021, each of the Border Fellows contributed to a cross-border network of local scholars, practitioners and policymakers working to initiate plans and projects with foundational goals tied to increasing peace, justice and education about migration challenges.

Out of the competitive applicant pool of 500 candidates, only six were chosen. Initially, each Fellow received a monthly stipend and a grant of $5,000 to fund their projects. They also met on a weekly basis with staff from Kroc IPJ to collaborate, co-create research, and build a network of border practitioners, researchers and policy makers that helped bring their projects to fruition.  

The call for proposals for the 2022-2023 cohort of Border Fellows is now open with a deadline of June 13 to receive letters of interest.

While the projects the Fellows advanced during the last year varied in scope, each made an immediate and indelible impact. At the end-of-year event, the Fellows provided a summation of their projects, and the takeaways that will define the success of those projects, in their own words:

“I work at a nonprofit called PrevenCasa in Tijuana, and my program is a community health education program where we train healthcare providers in their last year of medical training how to provide services for vulnerable populations that are specific to their needs. At the same time, we do a series of workshops to help the community and the people who use our services better navigate the healthcare system in Mexico and build skills that improve the way that they approach healthcare services. At the end of 12 months, we have provided nine community workshops, we have trained 17 healthcare providers, and hopefully the program will keep on going. I’m incredibly grateful for the Kroc Institute for this opportunity and I hope that we can keep building these partnerships." — Dr. Rebeca Cázares

— USD News Center